How old do you have to be to fly yourself?

Much younger than driving a car. Did you know that?

First flying lesson: from 8 years

Flying is a little different from driving lessons. This is because a training plane has full controls on the left and right. When you have a flying lesson, the instructor is always the captain and can fully control the plane.

That is why there is no minimum age. But many flight schools keep 8 years as a lower limit for a first flying lesson. Because if the student is much younger they are often too small to reach the pedals and look over the dashboard.

First solo: from 16 years of age

If you are really going to do your flying training then you have to start flying alone ("solo"). This is allowed from the age of 16.

Most student pilots fly their first solo about a year after starting flight training. Therefore, it does not make much sense to start long before your 15th birthday.

Examination: from 17 years of age

You can take the exam for a pilot's licence from the age of 17. That is still earlier than getting your car licence. Isn't that special?

More information

Do you want to know more about flying?

Then download our theory book "How an aeroplane flies" completely free of charge. This booklet describes in an accessible way the background of a first flying lesson. So that before or after your lesson you can read back what happened around you. You will read about, among other things:

How lift is created and thus how an aeroplane can fly

How to make a turn with an aeroplane

What the traffic rules on the ground and in the air are

And what all the buttons and gauges in the cockpit mean

You can also order the book as a real book on Bol.com or give it as a present with a flying lesson.

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About Eveline van den Boom

Author of this article is Eveline van den Boom. In 2006, she got her first flying lesson as a birthday present; a beautiful flight over Rotterdam. That tasted like more!

In 2010, she obtained her PPL pilot's licence in Lelystad. In 2011, a plane was purchased: an Aero AT-3. This aircraft is still flying in the Vliegles.nl fleet with callsign PH-EVB.

She wrote the theory books "Theory of Flying" and "Theory helicopter flying". You can order these with your flying lessons. Besides being a private pilot, Eveline also works as a Dutch real estate agent on the Costa del Sol.

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